Structural connector



WIWI/1.14

Iriver-1702".

Oct. 2,1945.-

H. A. TAYLORl STRUCTURAL CONNECTOR Filed Nev. 13, 1943 Patented Oct. 2,1945 UNITED STAT ES. FFICE HenryfA-.Taylon Dorclies-ter;MasslApplicatitn November 1s, 1944s,v serial No, 510,085

Y f lzclaims.l C1.15'1'-33) This invention relates to improvements inconnectors of the bolt and nut general class and more particularly tosuch connectors which have provision for preliminary mounting of a nutVat one side of a structural element'in'position to receive the threadedend of av bolt or 'screw inserted and driven through the structuralelement from the opposite side. f

The various prior'art proposals for mounting a nut non-rotatably in Aregister with a hole through which a bolt can be threadedly engaged withthe nut havebeen unsatisfactory for one reason or another. Some of theminvolve' an impracticable amount of laborand expense to manufacture andinstall the nut l retainers; Others are ineiective for accuratelylocating the nuts. Still others'lack provisionV for ensuring maintenanceof the vrequired tight clamping tof gether of the elements secured bytheconnector.

When it is considered thatl aprincipal use of such connectors is instructural Work Where the bolts or screws extend through one or morerelatively large sheet elements for .securingv the sheets together, orextend through some object vof equipment and a wall on which thec'tject2isto be mounted, the importance ofaccu'rate location 'of the nutsrelative to the bolt'holes'is obvio`us" l: ey cause the nutsnecessarily-are atlocations not readily accessible to the workmaninsertingand driving the bolts froml the'lo'ppositel side *ofthe istructural sheets or Wall. Hence an inaccurately placed nut cannot beadjustedinthe'absencerof a. man on the nut side ofthe structure,andfoft'enl times a nut once wronglyplaced' isll-netfeasily shifted tocorrect itsfalignment. of heretofore available nutfretainers-far-noniremovably mounted and.- great diflicultyand inconvenience is involved tochange an initial setting of a nut. y;

Another important usefforconnectors ofthis general type is for steppingupp'roductionfwhere a multiplicity of, bolt andnut fastenin'gs are to bemade relatively closetogether, as'in shiprand plane constructions. `Insuch casesv allnofthe nuts may be preliminarily amounted:I in register iwith their respective bolt holes and then a workman moving'from oneto.:another'quicklyican drive home the bolts withoutfu'ssingwiththeindividual nuts. Howeverf if time is; to vbe saved in thislattersituation, lthe. initial mounting of the nuts must be possible ofattainmentquickly and effectively, a, result not adequatelyserved ybythe prior nut retainers, y Also. there mustbe assurance-that a tight$0.11,- nection once made,vvil l continue tight .notwith- "T-he'majority i standing vibrations and reasonable expansions andcontractions ofmaterials due to temperature changes. 'In other words,effective locking means restraining relativerotationof the nut and boltis essential.V

It is an object` of present invention to proviue a boltandj'nut'connector which more ef- 'i'ectively andy efficiently can servethe desirable an'd'essentiall requirements above mentioned as comparedwith prior connectors of which I have knowledge'. I provide a nutretainer having provision' for non-rotatably receiving a nut therein andhavingjprojectingm'eans at the bearing end oi' the Ynut ior Irictionallyand non-rotatably engaging inprecisely located slots in the structuralelement 'on winch the 'nut is to'be mounted. A feature is that theretainer j'with vaV nut therein may besecureiy 'ariixed to thestructural element as "a result oiia` mere thrustjof the retainertoward' the element, *with tne retainer projections enteringandirictio-nally gripping the element to hold the retainer an'dnutaccurately and nonrotatably registering with vaybolt hole; and theretainer'mayjberemoved, 1I' desired, by a pull s'uiiicient to' overcometheifrictionalpgrip of said projections o nthe Walls fof said slots. A

l Another Objectis 'tofprovide'i'ora locking interengagement `betvveenthe nut and' the threads of the bolt.` Tothis end the* retainerresiliently grips thesides of' thenut 'and initially holds the bearingsurface oi' the nut spacedV from the face of ltheV structural element,so` that the bolt is madel to drajyv Ithe nut toward lthe structuralelement and to'overcme the said resilient grip of thefretainer 'on'thenut in 'doing it. .Hence a. locking -fric'ztional Yengagement betweenthe nut and bolt threadsffzis produced prior to engagement of the ntwiththe structural element, and thisis'fyi'urther'increased bythe ultimatetightening of the bolt with the nut in bearing contact with the4striicijiiral element.

IStill anotherobject is to provide a nut retainer structure which can bestamped from sheet metal stock 'inexpensively and eiiiciently onprinciples of mass production, and which can beshaped and sized to ritdiierent shapes and sizes .of nuts.

It is, moreover, my purpose andobject generally to improve thestructureA effectiveness of connectors `oi the classic which theinvention relates` A 1 :y Y Ir 1 theaccpmpanyingrdrawing;

, yFigure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing two structuralsheet; elements secured together by a connector embodying features of mypresent invention, the section being at a location corresponding to lineI-l of Figure 5;

Figure 2 is a similar view in section at a location corresponding toline 2-2 of Figure 5, but showing the bolt and nut in elevation;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing the bolt prior to itsinsertion and engagement with the nut and the nut dotted in its initialspaced relation to thestructural element;

Figure isl @perspective viewf showing tliel retainer disengagedffoxrrt'he locating'and"retain-Pv ing slots in the structural element;

YFigure 5 is a cross-sectional View on line of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a view sirnilar to Figure 1 but showing rny connectorapplied t0. a relatively wall, for securing an objectn lthe *wa-1l.n

Referring to the drawing, a bolt or screw shown in Figs. l-3 and 5extending frompnef side through the registering holes I2, l-.4 in thestrucand oingi die tiofrsit fin-e' vfront side ofitriesnmetnretf rrrsuch Y nolessrextennsfor receivmglicoseiyitliethreaded end -of a bolt Ior 22. The retainer 39 preferably will have cross-sectional shapetransversely of the axis corresponding generally with the simii larcross-sectional shape of the nut to be retained. In the drawing, ahexagonal nut is illustrated and the retainer 39 has generally hexagonalshape for receiving the nut, as best seen in Fig. and

in the perspective view of`Fig. 4.

It is a feature of the present structure that tHe's'fde'fWallsBf, 34 ofth'erretainercup are adapttoirefsilentlyembrace the fiatllsldes of a nutpressed into the cup, so that axial movement of 'l'e nut in the cuprequires a force capable of overcoming. a substantial friction betweenthe nut and the walls 32, 34, This is important in conriccibni'witlrlthe locking feature of the device,

Y later to be described.

The opposley'd'sposed Walls 32 o1" the retainer havefextet from thebottom Wall 3B substantially greater. than the oppositely disposed wallsSato provide'v temiirrazl' p'rojectirrg'parts'gc on w aus 32 for"engagingn slots 42in` tl'i'e struct-Zural.elen ment Af8". VThessterminar partera are' 'Icngitudil naly'slftted with" sligntrernoval ormetal, as at' 44,. andftheiiouterterniinaledges' are rounded a-sat 4Gtio-constitute rcani surfaces 'for 'riding on tfe'end"walfsoftneslots'dz'when 'the retainer's thrust axially toward elementlf. Tl'i'ebreadth ofthe siitteu tenni'nars sligfinyzxceeds 'the lengtncr the 51ers 42, rso 'that 'the portions of' nieren,v

minar" 'parts africa opposite 'sides @fla jslt'are cainrried edge'wisetowardcacli'o'tier 'with slight closiri'gof the slit whentTle-ter'rniial'fparts Mila-re 'itt'fo which: theterminalsmayfenterfslots l2A and mantain't'he shorter-"walls 34 outfoContact with-elementi F81"- i" 'V' u' y I s ndcatd'by the'dottedshowingin Figi- 3, a nffio- Bef munie@ iSirSt pressed into. retainer ,3?PifflaLY-,untkiisfirmes, @miY eneagesihe'botf fQmVWaI-lfi. 1211thisiposieion Q-fthenut, itsibearv faceiwilgbe spacedesornewhac inwardfrom the .f intlif Shoulders 4% x91, the; ,tem-Hilfe@ parts 40. HemaWheniherewiner isthrustroward element I3 to engage terminal-.parts 4Min;thejslots 431%the ShQuldersf encaseelement reto-aminfurther movement andthe.V bearingx face oi the nutis spaced'- fromvelement.-l-ras'indicated: in1;Fig'.. l3. l@v erv 22!y now may inserted.and drivenzinto threaded engagementfw lthefmrt Whileltherlattencontinuesy i-zry siiacccl;relationimplementy |18.. But whexrltheboltreachesits. innermost position with its head engaging element I6,furtherturn! ing? of: the'bolt tends ta. draw-.the nuty axiallytowardelement wandy graduallyldoes draw nut that direction: until.ilzlultiniatelyC-,engagesele ment |18.. Howeven.the;frctionala.resistance to 'tvioists in element' liforeacl'rconnector: will be made simultaneously bysuitable dies of a press.or'the like, ensuring accuracy of relative locations and `sizing E andensuring-also thatthe bolt hole and slots at eachconnector location willbe the same.

Although Ithaveillustrated a nutretainer 30 having wall portionsengaging each flat side of a nut, .the walls v34 may be dispensedwith,'if de. sired, and reliance placed entirely on ywalls 32- forproviding `frictional resistance to movement 'of the nut in theretainer. I prefer the structure as shown, however, because the nut ismore securely'held-ag'ainst tilting, possibility of any misalignment,Vvand la stronger locking friction is attainable.v4 i Y f *Y I claim-asmy invention: l

14A structural assembly comprising aA structural element and a member inpredetermined secured relation thereto, a bolt extending from one sideof the structure through said member and element, a nut at the otherside of the structure threaded on the bolt and engaging said element.and lmeans mounting the nut on said other side of the structureindependently of said bolt including projections thrust-taxially'ofvthel bolt retaining said nutby `frictional gripping engagement betweenonly surfaces having extent generally in direction parallel with theaxis of the bolt.

2. A mounted nut comprising a support having a hole therethrough, a nutaxially aligned with said hole, and means frictionally embracing the nuthaving projections extending in axial direction beyond the bearing endof the nut and frictionally engaging only surfaces of the support havingextent generally in direction parallel with the axis of the hole, saidfrictional engagement of the projections with the support providinggripping force only generally transversely of the axis maintaining saidnut-embracing means on the support with the nut and hole in their saidalignment.

3. A mounted nut comprising a support having a hole therethrough, a nutaxially aligned with said hole, and a nut retainer irictionallyembracing the nut and maintaining it on the support in its said axialalignment with the hole, said retainer comprising oppositely disposedarms extending generally parallel with the nut axis between which thenut is frictionally engaged, terminal portions 'of said arms extendingbeyond the bearing end of the nut, there being sockets in the support inpredetermined relation to said hole having surfaces extending in generalparallelism with the axis of the nut, and said terminals frictionallygripping only said axially extending surfaces of the sockets to retainthe nut on the support.

4. In a structural assembly including two structural elements, meanssecuring said elements in predetermined fixed relation comprising a boltextending from one side of the structure through both structuralelements, a nut at the other side of the structure threaded on the boltand coacting with the bolt to clamp the two structural elements in thesaid predetermined relation, and means at the nut side of the structureembracing the nut and thrust axially into frictional gripping engagementwith the structure for mounting the nut thereon independently of saidbolt, there being projections on the latter said means and coactingsockets in said structure providing for the said independent mounting ofthe nut by axial thrust, and said frictional gripping engagement beingonly between surfaces of said projections and said sockets `which haveextent generally in direction parallelwith the axis of the nut. l l

5. vIn a; structural assembly includingftwo-structural elements, Ameanssecuring vsaid elements in predeterminedy iixed relation comprising abolt extending from oneside ofthe structure through lboth structuralelements; anut at the othervside of the structure threadedonthebolt andyycoacting withr the bolt to'clamp the two structural elementsy in thesaid predetermined relation, and a nut retainer having oppositelydisposed generally .parallel arms resiliently'embracing opposite. sideslof the nut and having `terminal parts projecting. beyondthe bearing endoi thenut, said terminal parts beingV each `resiliently'compressibleedgewise thereof, and there being receivlngsockets in the adjacentstructural element for compressing theiterminals edgewise when theterminals 4are thrust axially; into the sockets, whereby frictional gripbetween the edges of the terminals and walls of the sockets maintainsthe retainer and its nut on the structural element independently of4said bolt. i

6. A mounted nut -comprising a support having a bolt hole' therein and aplurality of other holes in predetermined'relationto the bolt. hole,anut axially aligned with the bolt hole in the support havingprojections thrust axially into said other holes in the support andmaintained only by frictional gripping between axially extendingsurfaces of the projections and axially extending walls of said otherholes.

7. A nut retainer for mounting a nut on a support with its axis alignedwith a bolt hole in the support, said retainer having a part overlyingan end of the nut, and nut-embracing arms extending from said loverlyingpart in general parallelism to the nut axis and at each side of the nut,said arms having projections extending beyond the end of the nut whichis remote from said overlying part of the retainer, and each projectionhaving a split terminal for frictionally gripping a socket wall when thelterminals are thrust axially into receiving sockets of the support.

8. A nut retainer for mounting a nut on a support with its axis alignedwith a bolt hole in the support, said retainer being generallycup-shaped for receiving a nut therein and having its side walls slittedtoprovide wall sections for resiliently embracing ats'of the nut,ioppositely disposed ones of the wall sections projecting beyond thebearing end of the nut and each said projection having .provision forfrictionally engaging in a, socket in a support when the retainer isthrust axially toward the support. l

9. A nut retainer for mounting a nut on a support with its axis alignedwith a bolt hole in the support, said retainer being generallycup-shaped for receiving a nut therein and having its side walls slittedto provide wall sections for resiliently embracing nats of the nut,oppositely disposed ones of the wall sections projecting beyond thebearing end of the nut and each said projection having provision forfrictionally engaging in a socket in a support when the retainer isthrust axially toward the support, and means on each projection forstopping movement of the projection axially into the socket prior toengagement of the bearing end of the nut with the support.

10. A nut retainer for mounting a nut on a support with its axis alignedwith a bolt hole in the support, said retainer being generally cupshapedfor receiving a nut therein and having Y of thei projection axiailyvintothev soeketl prior. to

engager-nent'ofY the" bearing. en@I ofv the' nut 11.-Ai.nut retainer`for` mounting la; nut omV a support' with` its axis alignedrwitira boittroie: in the` siirgiport,V said retainen being'. generally: cup-`sha'pedtflon' receivinga nut amihaving op;-

message irndrawing the.. nut engagement with the posit'eiy; disposedWall porttonsp'roieetingabeyond Y the: bea-ring.. endv of. the nation"frictionaliyenf gagingin sockets otthesupportwherr theretainer is thrustaxially towardgather support, and; means fon locking: a; boit .anda themitin1 ciampingrelation; to theY support comprising means onwtheretainer frictionailyf embracing the mitv and. resisting axialmovementofftrref nut irrl the; retainer', anni'I shoulders on saidLpromotionsV limiting Vmovement ofV the retainer in directiontowardtheisupportrso- +Ihaty said; bearing, emi.4 of the nut isf spacedK support. Y o v -,12..:A1.nnte:setainer-ifoi? mounting aonut on. asupport itsfairi'sV aligned :Witha bolt hole in the: supporti.said.E-retainer;being generally cupshaped .with erossfseetionai contourgenerally corresponding tev the` cross-seotionl Contourpof theiriut,rfordrecieivfing ainut thereinLandihaving its;l side'i walis,.;s1itted.to provide Walk portionsv ref siliently embracing the 4iajtsv ofthenugt;oppositely disposed wail'poxtions; extendingbeyondatlie bear; ing end ofthe nut in said retainer andgiia-fving terminals slitted longitudinallytofrprovidetermmh patts:1on- Qppositefsides-.Gi aislit resilientlymovable tQWard each ether, ,edgewsa and @am Skffes 011:. Sa'dlminaltParts: for; engaging soiettwaiisrinthe SuppQrtto effect. theresilientedeewise movement .Qi the-terminal parte@ prodiieefvxfyietional`r grippingy o; the terjlnin'als thesoietwall'snwhfen theretainer is tifiriist'axe

